American Go E-Journal

China Wins WAGC; U.S. is 21st

Chris Garlock — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:52:13 +0000

THIS JUST IN: China’s Qiao Zhijian 7d, undefeated after eight grueling rounds, is the winner of the 2012 World Amateur Go Championships. In second place is Hyunjoon Lee of Korea, third is Chen ChengHsun of Tapei. US rep Yuan Zhou was 21st. Other Top 10 finishers: Chan Chi Hin (Hong Kong, 4th), Ri Kwang Hyok (DPRK, 5th), Pal Palogh (Hungary, 6th) and Juri Kuronean (Finland, 7th). In 8th place was Japan’s Seizoh Nakazono, 9th was Lou Yuxiang of Singapore and Benjamin Teuber of Germany was 10th. Click here for final round reports, final standings and Round 7 game records (we’ll post Round 8 records when they’re available), including So Yokoku’s commentary on the exciting China-DPRK game.

2012 WAGC Round 7 Game Records

Chris Garlock — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:30:32 +0000

China-DPRK (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P); HongKong-Taipei; Hungary-Korea; Japan-Slovakia.
The 7th round began with a demonstration of the tombstone tesuji by China’s Qiao Zhijian in the bottom right corner on Board 1 against DPRK’s Ri Kwang Hyok. The resulting fight ended in a ko in the top right corner. Qiao won the ko but had to concede the top right corner territory and also give Kwang Hyok the superior position in the center. See So Yokoku’s commentary below and click here for the complete Ranka report on Round 7.

download SGF file

OWL Tourney Registration Deadline Extended

Chris Garlock — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:07:44 +0000

The registration deadline for this weekend’s Oscar Wilde Liberation (OWL) Tournament has been extended to Thursday, May 17. A dozen players have registered thus far for the tournament, which will be run on KGS, and there are still slots available for interested players. This will be the second online tournament this year where players can earn points towards the North American Ing Masters tournament at this year’s US Go Congress in North Carolina in August, and the World Mind Sports Games in Lille, France, also in August. Click here to register.

Go Photo: Unwinding at the WAGC

Chris Garlock — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:46:36 +0000

What do go players do after competing all day at the World Amateur Go Championship? Review their games, of course. Here, U.S. player Yuan Zhou 7d — a longtime go teacher and author — analyzes a game Tuesday night in the Baiyun Hotel’s 30th-floor bar/playing room with Sweden’s Martin Li (center) and Pal Sannes of Norway, while Dragan Paunic of Bosnia-Herzegovina watches.
- photo by Chris Garlock

WAGC Game Report: Round 6

Chris Garlock — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:05:58 +0000

In Round 6, Tuesday’s afternoon round, China’s Qiao Zhijian (below right) immediately launched into the same Dosaku opening that he had used successfully in the morning round, once again playing his initial moves in less than one second each. The game took a similar course, with black (Qiao) securing considerable territory while white (Korea’s Lee Hyunjoon, at left) constructed a framework, inside which he tried to destroy an invading black group. At one point it looked as if he had a fair chance of catching the invaders, but running wild inside opponents’ frameworks seems to be Qiao’s specialty, and as in his morning game, he successfully brought his invaders to safety. Lee resolutely switched strategies and tried to win on territory, but this appeared difficult. Toward the end of the game Lee started a ko on the lower edge, but by this time all the black stones were connected into a single group, and white didn’t have enough ko threats. Qiao won the ko, started another (indirect) ko that eventually Lee had to win to avoid losing the top left corner, and won the game by 2.5 points.

Serbia’s Mijodrag Stankovic needed less than 40 minutes to dispose of Australia’s David Bofinger (right). ‘Against a 5-dan opponent I chose to fight,’ said 2-dan David, ‘but it was the wrong fight to choose.’ The players from Chinese Taipei, DPR Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong successfully overcame opponents from Germany, the U.S. Belarus, and Singapore. DPR Korea’s Ri Kwang-Hyok will be the next to try to defeat Qiao Zhijian Wednesday morning. The low-teen duo from Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong are also in the five-win band, which means they are still in contention for the championship; they will play each other in Round 7. Another player in this band is Hungary’s Pal Balogh, who used the avalanche joseki to defeat Slovakia’s Pavol Lisy in Round 6, and will face the Korean Lee in Round 7.

In other notable results, Vietnam’s Do Kanh-Binh (left) defeated Alexander Eerbeek, who said ‘I played like a 10-kyu.’ In a match between two players who reside in Canada, French seed Remi Campagnie downed Canadian representative Xianyu Li. In games matching Europeans against Latin American opponents, Italy’s Carlo Metta, Switzerland’s Felicien Mazille, and Argentina’s Eduardo Lopez picked up their third wins by defeating Costa Rica’s Luis Cajiao, Colombia’s Carlos Acuno, and Austria’s Lothar Spiegel, while Ireland’s Colin MacSweeney (right) picked up his second win by beating Brazil’s Nadeen Prem. And most notable of all, Fang Xiaoyan made this a perfect day for China by defeating Mongolia’s Bayarjargal Shartolgoi.
- adapted from James Davies’ report on Ranka Online; click here for latest results and Round 6 online game records.

2012 WAGC Round 6 Game Records

Chris Garlock — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:33:47 +0000

Korea-China (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P); Singapore-HongKong; US-DPRK; Germany-Taipei (Commentary by Yang Shuang 3P)
As always, China’s Qiao Zhijian was in his seat ten minutes early. This time, he used those ten minutes to take a short post-prandial nap, while in the facing chair Korea’s Lee Hyunjoon carefully positioned his belongings and then passed the time by looking around the playing area…click here for the complete Ranka Online Round 6 report.

download SGF file

2012 WAGC Round 5 Game Records

Chris Garlock — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:23:32 +0000

DPRK-Korea (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P); UK-US (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P); Taipei-China (commentary by Yang Shuang 3P); Czechia-Japan
On Board 2, China’s Qiao Zhijian chose a variation of the Dosaku opening and played his first ten moves in less than one second each, quickly constructing a huge black framework in the bottom half of the board…Click here for Ranka Online’s complete Round 5 report.

download SGF file

WAGC Short Takes: Yuan Zhou on Tygem & the U.S. Pro System; Nihon Ki-in Teams up with Cho U on New Go App; In the Gardens of the Guangzhou Chess Institute; A Glimpse of James Davies

Chris Garlock — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Yuan Zhou on Tygem & the U.S. Pro System: Yuan Zhou 7d warmed up for his World Amateur Go Championship appearance by playing on the Tygem server, where he told the E-Journal that “It was very easy and fast to get good games.” Heading into his fifth-round game against the UK’s Samuel Aitkin 4d, Zhou said he was pleased with his 3-1 record thus far, noting that his fourth-round win against Seizoh Nakazono 8d was the first time in WAGC history that the US had prevailed over Japan. He’s excited about the new American pro system now in development and looking forward to competing in the pro qualifier at the Maryland Open at the end of the month. “It’s so important for the future of American go,” Zhou said, “it will give hope to young American players that a go career is possible.”

Nihon Ki-in Teams up with Cho U on New Go App: Colorful cats, dogs and frogs danced on Taro Matsuo’s iPad as the Go World editor enthusiastically showed off the Nihon Kiin’s playful go app developed with top pro Cho U 9P. The new app features cute cartoon animals that guide a beginner through learning the fundamentals of go in a “fun and accessible way,” Matsuo said. Now available in the iTunes app store in Japanese (search for Nihon Ki-in or go), the hope is to release an English-language version later this year. The app joins other Nihon Ki-in apps including its tsume-go (life and death) app; IgoFree, for playing go in-person on an iPad, and e-publications including Go World, Go Weekly (featuring playable game records), and more than ten go books, “with two more due out next month,” Matsuo says proudly.

In the Gardens of the Guangzhou Chess Institute: Clouds of dragonflies flitted above us as we took in the view from the garden atop the Guangzhou Chess Institute. A waterfall burbled merrily nearby, giving a measure of relief from the oppressive heat. Built for the 2010 edition of the Asian Games, the Institute is a spectacular venue for go, chess and Chinese Chess events near scenic Baiyun Mountain, and includes two major playing halls, rooms for players and officials to stay in, and study rooms, as well as lush gardens and an impressive museum dedicated to the three games. The museum celebrates the Chinese origins of go, and the key figures in that history, from Ming emperor Yao, who legend says had it invented for his son, to Wu Qingyuan, known to the west as Go Seigen, the prodigy who triumphed so spectacularly in Japan, became one of the best players of all time and, with Kitani Minoru, broke away from the traditional opening patterns to develop modern go. Other Chinese go giants like Chen Zude, Nie Weiping and Gu Li are also highlighted, although all the museum text is in Chinese, leaving the western vistor to puzzle out things like the player’s names on the historical games on the walls (shown here by So Yokoku 8P). An exhibition of English-language panels covering much the same material were produced for the WAGC main playing area and perhaps will be displayed in the museum. The exhibits of boards, pieces and carved wood panels in the cool and shadowy museum are inviting in Guangzhou’s heat, but so too are the whisper of the breeze in the bamboo and rustle of the twisted pines in the Institute’s gardens, as the player’s stones click steadily along like cicadas in the trees.

A Glimpse of James Davies: James Davies does not flaunt his encyclopedic knowledge of the game of go, its history and players. It’s not his style. The author of elegant Ishi classics like An Introduction to GO, 38 Basic Joseki and Attack and Defense, who’s covering the WAGC for Ranka Online, Davies drifts about the playing area, seemingly aimlessly, keenly watching and listening, jotting down the occasional note, asking a quiet question or two of players exiting the playing area. Over six feet tall with a perfectly-trimmed bushy mustache that hides his expression but not the hint of a twinkle in his eyes, and always impeccably attired in a sports coat regardless of the oppressive heat, Davies’ comprehensive round-by-round reports and provide a keen eye for the telling detail, the way one player places his stones, the demeanor of another, the positional status of each game Davies turns his attention to. In another life, perhaps, the Baltimore native might have been a sportcaster, the kind with the true fan’s appreciation of the game and a gift for the sharp-eyed observation, dryly delivered.

- Chris Garlock; photos by John Pinkerton

WAGC Game Report: Round 5

Chris Garlock — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:39:18 +0000

Tuesday, May 15: On Board 2, China’s Qiao Zhijian chose a variation of the Dosaku opening and played his first ten moves in less than one second each, quickly constructing a huge black framework in the bottom half of the board…There were fewer fireworks on Board 1, but after a good opening and a bad middle game, Korea’s Hyunjoon Lee outplayed DPRK’s Ri Kwang Hyok in the endgame and then won the final one-point ko to prevail by 2.5 points…On Board 7, Samuel Aitken (UK, at right ) used his fifth move to make a three-space extension from the third line to the second line, a new pattern that has been appearing in professional games. He and Yuan Zhou (US) battled it out for the next two and a half hours, but in the end Aitken resigned…On Board 9, Lukas Podpera (Chechia) and Japan’s Nakazono Seizo also battled it out for two and a half hours, but today Nakazono’s Japanese supporters had the satisfaction of seeing Japan’s amateur Honinbo score a convincing win in the longest game of the round. The fastest was the game between Mongolia and Portugal, over in less than an hour and described as ‘an easy win’ by Portugal’s Daniel Tome. The most dramatic involved the players from Romania and Singapore: “I had the game in my pocket for at least 90% of the time,’ said Romania’s Cornel Burzo after it ended, ‘but with the clock counting the time, I got stressed and tried to shorten the process by killing a group. The moment after I played the stone I realized it was a catastrophic mistake. I went from something like a hundred points ahead to a hundred points behind.” Click here for the complete report on Round 5. Click here for Round 5 game records, including Taipei-China (commentary by YangShuang 3P); Czechia-Japan; DPRK-Korea; UK-US.
- adapted from James Davies’ Ranka Online report; photo by John Pinkerton

WAGC Go Players on Destiny, Predicting the Weather and Managing a Disco Bar

Chris Garlock — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:04:19 +0000

One of just two women players at this year’s World Amateur Go Championship, Chile’s Leslie Perez (top left) says it was “destiny” that she learned to play go, taught by a classmate at university in Valparaiso where she was studying for her bachelor’s degree in computer science. She’s playing at 4k at the WAGC but had reached 1k on KGS a few years ago before her studies cut back her playing time. She’s now studying for a Ph.D in Belgium, “but I’m still playing go” she tells James Davies in a Ranka Online interview. In other interviews, Norway’s Pal Sannes (bottom right) reveals that he works for the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, predicting the weather…Yuan Zhou (US, top middle) talks about being “quite pleased” about losing to his student Josh Lee…Malaysia’s Zaid Waqi (bottom left) discusses developments in Malaysian go…Kerem Karaerkek (Turkey, top right) talks about his work as a mountain guide, guitarist and disco bar manager…Japan’s Nakazono Seizo (bottom middle) says that his go salon’s 6-point komi, permitting drawn games, “works fine.”
- adapted from James Davies’ report on Ranka Online; photos/collage by John Pinkerton

2012 WAGC Round 4 Game Records

Chris Garlock — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:02:41 +0000

US-Japan (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P); HongKong-China (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P); Czechia-Taipei (Uncommented)
With all players present except the still missing Moroccan, the afternoon round started a few minutes early…Click here for Ranka Online’s report.

download SGF file

2012 WAGC Round 3 Game Records

Chris Garlock — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:01:22 +0000

China-Macau (Commentary by Yang Shuang 3P); DPRKorea-Austria; Japan-Korea; Slovakia-Romania
Fifteen minutes before the start of Round 3 on May 13, Qiao Zhijian, the main Chinese contestant, was already seated at his board…Click here for Ranka Online’s report on the round.

download SGF file

This Week’s Go Calendar: Seattle

Roger Schrag — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:25:45 +0000

May 20: Seattle, WA
Iwamoto Youth 19×19 Tournament
Brian Allen manager@seattlego.org 206.545.1424

Get the very latest tournament information.

U.S. Beats Japan in Controversial 4th-Round WAGC Game

Chris Garlock — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:50:09 +0000

The fourth-round contest between the US and Japan turned into a controversial and dramatic slugfest involving a series of severe attacks, both players in overtime, a key losing move in the late middle-game, a ko fight with both players in their last period of overtime and a sudden loss by Japan on time, complicated by a clock dispute that went all the way up to the tournament’s chief referee. See So Yokoku 8P’s commentary on the game to see what all the excitement was about. Click here for Ranka Online’s complete reports on Rounds 3 and 4 (including a more detailed report on the US-Japan game), here for the latest results and here for Round 3 game records and Round 4 game records.
- Chris Garlock; photo: Nakazono (left), referees Liu and Sun (center) and Zhou; photo by John Pinkerton

download SGF file

Daniel Smith Wins Bob Barber’s 70th Tourney

Chris Garlock — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:05:13 +0000

Daniel Smith 2d took top honors at the May 12 “It Was 20 Years Ago Today” tournament in Chicago, IL. Not a Beatles song reference, the title refered to this being the 20th anniversary — to the month — of Tournament Director Bob Barber’s (at right, at work) first tournament. This was the indefatiguable organizer’s 70th imaginatively-named competition and the 65-year-old — who claims to have “never lost even a single game” at one of his tournaments — says he plans to keep going “for at least another 20 years.” He also noted that three people who played in his first event two decades ago were there this time as well: Ian Feldman, David Rockwell, and Chris Greene. “Greene is also the publisher of Hinoki Press, which generously donates a book to each player at Chicago tournaments,” Barber said.
Winner’s Report: 1st Place High Dan: SMITH, Daniel 2d; 1st Place Low Dan: CHENG, Lixin 1d; 1st Place High Kyu: YU, Patrick 3k; Tie 1st Place Mid Kyu: ROHDE, David 5k & GABELMAN, Joel, 5k; 1st Place Low Kyu: DAVID, Brian, 10k. All six of these players won all four of their games; 36 players participated. photo by Daniel Smith

WAGC Game Report: Round 2

Chris Garlock — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:58:30 +0000

Despite a good opening, the United States’ Yuan Zhou 7d became the second seeded player to suffer defeat when he lost to 13-year-old Chen Cheng-Hsun 7d (at left) of Taipei in just 152 moves. “I wasn’t prepared to play such a tough player on the first day,” Zhou confided to the E-Journal. “But it’s great to see such strong young players.” When Cheng-Hsun competed in the WAGC in Hangzhou in 2010 he was thinking of going directly from primary school into a professional career. Instead, he took the more normal course of entering middle school, but his playing strength has continued to improve and he would already be serious competition for a lot of professionals.

The game between Nadeem Prem 3d (Brazil) and Leslie Perez 4k (Chile, at right) developed into a contest worth watching, despite the wide disparity in listed rankings. Overcoming the six-stone ranking difference, Perez won handily by 17.5 points to score the tournament’s first win by a woman; her Chinese counterpart, Fang Xiaoyan, the tournament’s only other female player, had already lost her second-round game to Andreas Gotzfried of Luxembourg.

In the Japan-Netherlands game, an early mistake by Mr Nakazono gave Alexander Eerbeek the lead, and he did not seem about to give it back. As the game progressed Mr Nakazono’s expression became increasingly grim, but in the end he managed to kill a large group and Alexander resigned. Japan had had a close call, but had earned the right to face Korea in the next round.

In the Czechia-Germany game, Czechia (Lukas Podepera) launched a fierce attack on a large German group, forcing it to struggle for a minimal life with just two eyes, and kept the pressure up relentlessly until Germany (Benjamin Teuber) resigned. Ten minutes later, Slovenia (Matoh Leon 5d) prevailed over Argentina (Eduardo Lopez Herrero 5d). The winners of these two games will meet in Round 3.

The last game to end, at 4:55, was the one between the North Korean and Hungarian players, Ri Kwang-Hyok (at left) and Pal Balogh. ‘My opponent made a mistake in the opening and I got the lead,’ said Balogh, ‘but I quickly matched him with a mistake of my own. After that I think I was still ahead, but I gave him a chance to attack and he took it.’ Balogh persevered to the end but lost by 9.5 points. Ri Kwang-Hyok, a veteran of the 2010 Asian games, is another player who would be serious competition for many professionals. Although Balogh looked shaken, his final comment was, ‘I feel happy with the way I played.’
- adapted from James Davies’ report on Ranka Online; click here for latest results; Click here for online game records for the following Round 1 games: Finland-UK; Hungary-DPRKorea (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P; Taipei-US (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P); photos by John Pinkerton

2012 WAGC Round 2 Game Records

Chris Garlock — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:50:46 +0000

Finland-UK (Commentary by Kaz Furuyama); Hungary-DPRKorea (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P); Taipei-US (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P); Japan-Netherlands (uncommented)

download SGF file

WAGC Game Report: Round 1

Chris Garlock — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:31:19 +0000

The World Amateur Go Championship games are played with basic time of one hour per player, followed by thirty-seconds-per move overtime, each player having three thirty-second periods to use. In Round 1 on Sunday morning, among the four seeded players, Qiao Zhijian (China), Lee Hyunjoon (Korea), and Yuan Zhou (U.S.A.) won handily, but Remi Campagnie (France) was upended by Pavol Lisy (Slovakia). This was a come-from-behind victory. ‘I was losing,’ Pavol said, ‘but my opponent made a big mistake, and after that I was winning.’ It was not an upset, however: both players are ranked 5-dan. In the other battles of the 5-dans, Leon Matoh (Slovenia) defeated Igor Popov (Russia), Lukas Podpera (Czechia) won a close 2.5-point victory over Longyang Li (New Zealand), and Eduardo Lopez (Argentina) prevailed over Martin Li (Sweden) by 8.5 points. The two youngest contestants both won their games, Chen Cheng-Hsun (Chinese Taipei) beating Carlos Acuna (Colombia) and Chan Chihin (Hong Kong) beating Felicien Mazille (Switzerland). Nakazono Seizo (Japan) won by a comfortable margin against Saechen Panjawat (Thailand), and in a very short game, Ri Kwang Hyok (DPR Korea) defeated Fang Xiaoyan (the second Chinese player). Chan Kouk Wang (Macau) won by forfeit when Ismail Ja (Morocco) failed to show up. Last to end was the game between Pal Balogh (Hungary, 6d) and Andreas Gotzfried (Luxembourg, 4d). ‘I thought it was about even through the middle game, but I lost a lot of points in the endgame,’ Andreas said. He had turned in a creditable performance, against one of the strongest players in Europe.
- excerpted from James Davies’ report on Ranka Online. Click here for latest results. Click here for online game records for the following Round 1 games: DPR Korea-China (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P, shown at left in photo at top right, with translator Ting Ting Chen and American Go E-Journal Managing Editor Chris Garlock); Thailand-Japan (Commentary by Yang Shuang 3P); US-Norway; Brazil-Korea. Bottom left photo: Cornel Burzo (Romania) reviews his Round 1 game with Zaid Waqi (Malaysia). photos by John Pinkerton

2012 WAGC Round 1 Game Records

Chris Garlock — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:30:51 +0000

DPR Korea-China (Commentary by So Yokoku 8P); Thailand-Japan (Commentary by Yang Shuang 3P); US-Norway (uncommented); Brazil-Korea (uncommented).

download SGF file

33rd WAGC Begins: E-Journal & Ranka Online Team Up for Coverage

Chris Garlock — Sun, 13 May 2012 02:10:56 +0000

The 33rd edition of the World Amateur Go Championships (WAGC) began Sunday morning, May 13, in the gold-draped main playing hall of the Guangzhou Chess Institute (“chess” in this context refers to go, chess and Chinese Chess) in Guangzhou, also known as Canton, the capital city of Guangdong Province in South China. Fifty-six players (Poland’s player missed his plane and has been replaced with a second Chinese player) have traveled from around the world to compete for the title as world’s top amateur. While China and Korea are once again favorites to win, the U.S. last year cracked the top five with Eric Lui’s 3rd-place finish and is represented this year by Yuan Zhou 7d, the popular teacher and author who’s won a number of U.S. titles. The American Go E-Journal and Ranka Online have teamed up again this year to provide full coverage of the WAGC, including tournament reports, game records and commentaries and photos; reports will be posted regularly on the AGA’s website, at Ranka Online and in the daily E-Journal. The 8-round tournament runs May 13-16.
- Chris Garlock; photos by John Pinkerton
Click here to download these Round 1 sgf game records:
DPR Korea (Ri Kwang Hyok 6D) vs China (Fang Xiaoyan 3D)
- Commentary by So Yokoku 8P
US (Yuan Zhou 7D) vs Norway (Pal Harald Sannes 5D)

WAGC Orientation & Pairings

Chris Garlock — Sun, 13 May 2012 01:05:38 +0000

By 2:35 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, most of the contestants in the 33rd World Amateur Go Championship had made a good start on recovering from jetlag, had sampled the breakfast and lunch buffets at Guangzhou’s Baiyun Hotel, and were ready for the orientation meeting. The meeting opened with an address by chief referee Hua Yigang 8P, who described go as a sport, an art, and a good platform for communication, and noted that east or west, Canton cuisine is the best. Executive chief referee Liu Jing 8P then went over the tournament rules and the computerized pairing system, which were the same as used in Hangzhou in 2010, and announced that since only 55 contestants were coming, an extra Chinese player had been added to make an even number. Next came the main business, which was to draw the numbers that the computer would use in determining the pairings throughout the tournament…click here for Ranka Online’s complete report.
- James Davies; photo: Carlos Andres Acuna Silva (right) drawing for player numbers; photo by Ivan Vigano

Maryland Open Next Stop in TYGEMGO Pro Prelim Series

Chris Garlock — Sat, 12 May 2012 09:16:04 +0000

Next up in the TYGEMGO Pro Prelim series is the Baltimore Go Club’s 39th Maryland Open on May 26-27 in Catonsville Maryland just outside Baltimore. The top finishing player with qualifying citizenship earns the right to compete for pro certification this summer in North Carolina the week before the US Go Congress. Top players also earn points to represent the US in the World MindSport Games in France. “However,” stresses local organizer Keith Arnold, “ALL players of ALL strengths are welcome to play and be present for this historic event.” Click here to pre-register or contact Keith Arnold at hlime81@comcast.net with any questions.

2010′s Top 20 Professional Go Players

Chris Garlock — Sat, 12 May 2012 07:58:29 +0000

For those of you who like to follow the professional go scene, An Younggil 8P (r) recently finished writing a year-long series of articles for GoGameGuru profiling the top 20 professional go players of 2010. Throughout the series, Younggil goes well beyond the usual historical details to write about players’ personalities and go styles, as well as recounting his own meetings with many of them. Younggil’s intention was to introduce his professional colleagues to a Western audience as humans, rather than just pro go players. He also shares many insights into the life of a professional go player and the go scene in Korea. It makes fascinating reading for any serious go fan.
The full list of bios includes: Lee Sedol, Kong Jie, Park Junghwan, Choi Cheolhan, Kang Dongyun, Heo Youngho, Gu Li, Xie He, Won Seongjin, Li Zhe, Zhou Ruiyang, Tuo Jiaxi, Lee Changho, Qiu Jun, Kim Jiseok, Wang Xi, Cho Hanseung, Chen Yaoye, Park Younghun and Lee Younggu.

photo: Kong Jie (left) and Lee Sedol play in the final of the 23rd Fujitsu Cup (2010).

2012 WAGC Readies for Launch in Guangzhou

Chris Garlock — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:52:42 +0000

To a casual passerby it was just a couple of guys playing go on a Friday night. But this was the Friday night before the 2012 World Amateur Go Championship (WAGC) in Guangzhou, China, and the go players were Hideo Otake 9P (right), Chairman of the Nihon Kiin Board of Directors and IGF President Zhenming Chang (left), Vice Chairman and President of the CITIC Group, a major Chinese firm dealing in finance, real estate, resource development, manufacturing and telecommunications. The two sat down for a quiet game in the lounge on the 30th floor of the Baiyung Hotel, where players from around the world continued to arrive and check in for the 33rd annual event, which begins Sunday and features players from 64 countries in an 8-round championship to determine the top amateur player. Click here for the list of players and here — Warming Up for Guangzhou — for Ranka Online’s report on how some of the WAGC contestants have been taking advantage of the extensive slate of European tournaments to get into shape for this tournament.
- Chris Garlock; photo by John Pinkerton

Lee Sedol Wins GS Caltex Cup; Chen Yaoye Holds Tianyuan; BC Card Cup Finals Begin

David Ormerod — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:58:55 +0000

May isn’t just a big month for US go players. The temperature is rising on the international go scene too. On May 4, Chen Yaoye 9P defended his Chinese Tianyuan (Tengen) title against up-and-coming player, Zhou Hexi 4P. Zhou faced off a strong field to top the 26th Tianyuan qualifiers for the second year in a row, but once again fell to Chen, who has now held the Tianyuan for four consecutive years. Meanwhile in Korea, Lee Sedol 9P fought back from a 2-1 disadvantage to defeat Park Younghun 9P in the (best of five) 17th GS Caltex Cup. Lee took home a cool $60,000 for his trouble. The finals of the 4th BC Card Cup start tomorrow (May 11 in the US), with Korea’s Baek Hongseok 9P set to take on China’s Dang Yifei 4P. China dominated the earlier rounds of the tournament, but Baek managed to fight his way through to the final, defeating Zhou Ruiyang 5P and Hu Yaoyu 8P along the way. 17 year old Dang Yifei’s run has been no less impressive. En route to the final, Dang defeated Lee Sedol 9P, Park Younghun 9P and Piao Wenyao 9P, among others. Both players are competing for their first international title.

Coming up very soon:

The 33rd World Amateur Go Championship is just getting started in Guangzhou, China. Expect updates from the E-Journal team very soon.
The 4th BC Card Cup finals start tomorrow. Watch them live on Baduk TV. The coverage for game 1 starts at 11:30pm, May 11, US EDT.
The 67th Japanese Honinbo title match starts on May 15 in Kyoto, Japan.
This being an Olympic year – the (quadrennial) Ing Cup will begin on May 23 in Taiwan.
For more details, see the professional Go calendar at Go Game Guru.

- David Ormerod, GoGameGuru; Photo: 17 year old Dang Yifei 4P (right) plays Piao Wenyao 9P.

Online Tygem Pro Qualifier Open to All

Chris Garlock — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:52:30 +0000

President Allan Abramson called today for go players at all levels to play in the Tygem online pro qualifier, which begins the first weekend in June. Abramson said he was “encouraging everyone to participate in this history-making event, and tell your friends that you competed to become a pro!”

All those interested should sign up to play on the Tygem server (see below). “Practice with the Tygem server now will make your online competition easier,” he said. “Note that it is Windows-based only, so you may need to arrange to use a friend’s PC.” (5/11 Update: Tygem runs on the iPad, but will not run on a Macintosh computer. iPad users can download the app from the Mac App Store.) Interested players 7 dan and up should register online, and send Abramson a note stating your interest in competing, your AGA ID and statement of US/Canadian citizenship (President@usgo.org). For everyone else, “just play and enjoy this historic event.”

The first round of the three-round competition is a simple single elimination tournament open to all eligible AGA members, regardless of rank. Eligible players are US and Canadian citizens who are not already professionals. Anyone who signs up on TYGEMGO and competes in the tournament will receive an “I Went Out For Pro” enamel pin as a keepsake. Players who are not yet AGA members can join the AGA through TYGEMGO for a promotional $15 rate.

Players who get their TYGEMGO ranking of 6d or higher can skip Round 1 and start in Round 2 with the survivors of Round 1. Those who make it through Round 2 will join seven pre-seeded players for Round 3. The tournament will select seven finalists to compete from 7/28 to 8/4 in North Carolina, where sixteen players will compete for two pro certifications. The finalists in North Carolina will each receive a $500 subsidy and another $3,000 in prize money will be distributed.

In order to play, go to Tygem’s English-language website and sign up for a TYGEMGO account. Then go to to the registration page and hit the “register” button. Registration runs through May 27. The first round will start the first week-end in June. Contact Yixian Zhou at missbear@gmail.com or Andrew Okun at sponsorship@usgo.org if you have questions.

Quaid Tseng 6d Tops Stony Brook Sakura Matsuri Go Tourney

Chris Garlock — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:24:04 +0000

Quaid Tseng 6d was the top winner at the second annual Sakura Matsuri Go Tournament, hosted by the Stony Brook Go Club May 5 at the Long Island Cherry Blossom Festival in the Wang Center of Stony Brook University in New York State. The Festival celebrates Japanese culture with martial art demonstrations, taiko drum performances, kimono fashion shows and other events. The Stony Brook Go Club offered $200 worth of prizes, including books written by professional go players, teacups, and a traditional Filipino squash sculpture made by Alex Wong and Christian Ang. Open to the public with no entry fee, entrants participated in four rounds and attracted 36 participants. The top seeds consisted of five-dan ranked players ranging from 3-dan to 6-dan. Other undefeated winners were Barbara Huang 7k, Mirza Basim Baig 20k, and Diana Huang 20k.
- report by Christian Ang

BadukMovies Launches Weekly Webcast

Chris Garlock — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:00:56 +0000

Dutch go players Peter Brouwer 6d (‘danoontje’ on KGS) and Kim Ouweleen 4d (‘Murugandi’) have launched a weekly webcast on their BadukMovies website. The short videos — 10 min. max — clearly explain and cover a wide variety of go topics, ranging from “A trick play without drawbacks” to “A Chinese tesuji against moyo” as well as detailed explanations about securing or destroying bases. Every Monday a new screencast is uploaded, with eight posted since the launch on March 20. The free videos are in English and Brouwer and Ouweleen say “Comments, feedback or new ideas for videos are more than welcome. Let us know what you think!” You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

“My Father’s Last Game” Translated into Chinese; Cool Players; “Liking” Iwamoto’s Go Centers; Cotsen Correx

Chris Garlock — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:00:10 +0000

“My Father’s Last Game” Translated into Chinese: Betsy Small’s Traveling Board column in the March 29 E-Journal, “My Father’s Last Game” has been published in China, on the sina blog and major go websites, as well as in the publication Sports Fan, which has a circulation of about 150,000. “Some readers told me they were in tears after reading the story,” Simon Guo, who translated the article, tells the E-Journal. “Me too.”

Cool Players: “I could be mistaken, but the men in that photograph (Go Photo: Cool Game 4/22 EJ) look like Igor Grishin (left) and Maksim Tikhomirov (right) from the Russian Go Federation,” writes Nikolas. “ Alexandre Dinerchtein sent me more photos of them” on the All About Go blog.

“Liking” Iwamoto’s Go Centers: Noting that “The Seattle Go Center is in serious jeopardy because the Nihon Ki-in has decided to sell the building that has housed it since its inception” and that “the unilateral manner in which the decision was made raises questions regarding the future of all of the Iwamoto Go Centers,” NY Go Center Board member Roy Laird is urging go players to “like” any or all of the three Iwamoto Go Centers that have Facebook pages: The Seattle Go Center, The New York Go Center and The European Go Cultural Centre. “This public groundswell of support could open the door to a more effective partnership between the Nihon Ki-in and Western Go,” suggests Laird.

Cotsen Correx: Myung-wan Kim is 9P (not 3P as mistakenly reported in our 5/2 post In Appreciation: The 2012 Cotsen Open Team), Chris Sira was the Tournament Director. Our apologies for the error and oversight.

Champagne Celebrates Go Congress Contest Win

Chris Garlock — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:03:41 +0000

“Watching a young player, whose feet didn’t even touch the floor, cling to his teddy bear while he beat opponent after opponent…sitting with Noni Redmond in North Carolina as she patiently taught an interesting craft to other non-players…the lack of greens on the menu in Rochester….the whitewater rafting kayak trip in the Chicago River when one of the players went overboard and had to get decontaminated…the players and non-players whom I’ve met and whom I look forward to seeing year after year after bloody year.” These U.S. Go Congress memories won Laura Champagne the recent 2012 Go Congress Registration Story Contest — and a free Congress meal plan — when her submission was selected at random from those sent in. Meanwhile, go players continue to sign up for the August 4-12 Go Congress in Black Mountain, NC at a record-setting pace, organizers report. “So if you’re planning to come and still have not registered and reserved your rooms, you should do so now!” says Congress Co-Director Paul Celmer. Registration prices go up in June, he notes. And with well over 400 go enthusiasts planning to attend, the first-ever North American Go Symposium – free for Congress attendees – and lots of other great go activities, including the inaugural AGA Pro Certification Tournament, which ends just as the Congress begins, “you have a fantastic chance of meeting some of the most interesting and enjoyable people on the planet!”
- photo: Michael Redmond (l) & Nakayama Noriyuki at the 2006 U.S. Go Congress in Black Mountain, NC

EuroGoTV Updates: May 4-7

Chris Garlock — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:42:55 +0000

Britain Seeks New Leader: (5/7) After racking up 25 British Championship titles, Matthew Macfadyen has decided, for now, to retire from the UK Championship. The race is now on to see who will replace him…Apeldoorn 2012: The Apeldoorn 2012, a class C tournament, played May 6 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, was won by Rudi Verhagen 5d (left)…Danish Championship 2012: The Danish Championship 2012, a class A tournament, played May 5-6 in Copenhagen, Denmark, was won by Per Marquardsen 2d…Korean Ambassador Cup 2012: The Korean Ambassador Cup, a class A tournament, played May 5-6 in Praha, Czech Republic, was won by Pal Balogh 6d (right)…449th Velika Gorica weekend-go-tournament 2012: The 449th Velika Gorica weekend-go-tournament, a class C tournament, played on May 5 in Velika Gorica, Croatia, was won by Zvonko Bednjanec 3k…Gosente Mini Handicap Tournament 2012: The Gosente Mini Handicap Tournament, a class C tournament, played on May 4 in Riga, Latvia, was won by Karina Stanislavska 10k…
- excerpted from EuroGoTV, which includes complete winner reports, crosstabs and photos.

Edward Kim 7d wins Seattle Pro Prelim

Brian Allen — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:15:53 +0000

Edward Kim (r) won all five of his games to win the first AGA-Tygem Seattle Pro Prelim, held May 5-6 at the Seattle Go Center. Ten players competed for the opportunity to go to the AGA-Tygem Pro Final in North Carolina, which will be from July 28th to August 4th. Second place was earned by Yixian Zhou 6d, who had a 4-1 record. Third went to David (Dong) Ma 6d, fourth (on a tie breaker) to young Vincent Zhuang 6d and fifth to Nicholas Jhirad 6d. The second band, which was not competing for the pro position, had six dan level players. Kum Kang Lee 4d placed first, Job Betcher 2nd and Louie Liu 3rd. The tournament also generated points for the 2012 World Mind Sports selection process.

The Seattle Go Center expressed “special thanks” to Tournament Director John Hogan, “who did a great job starting a new tournament tradition.” Bill Chiles was Asst. TD, while Dennis Wheeler, Oren Laskin, Bill Camp, and Bill Thompson recorded games from the top two boards. The games are available here.
- photo by Brian Allen

New Go Films: Tokyo Newcomer & Weiqi Wonders

Chris Garlock — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:43:42 +0000

Go features prominently in a couple of new films, one a drama, the other a documentary. In Tokyo Newcomer (click here for a trailer in Japanese), Chinese go genius Yoshiryu (Qin Hao) comes to Japan to hone his skills in the game, but finds he’s too busy earning a living to study go at all. One day, he meets an old woman hawking vegetables, who turns out to be a descendant of a prestigious go family. The latest film by Jiang Qinmin – who also directed The Last Sunflower and Sky Lovers – Tokyo Newcomer is “a touching drama about true communication, transcending national borders and generation gaps, through go.” In Weiqi Wonders: Conversations About the Game of Go in China, anthropologist Marc L. Moskowitz (at right, below) interviews people in China in settings ranging from children’s schools to China’s elite Beijing University to a park where retired working class men gather to play, from child educators to those reminiscing about their own youth during the Cultural Revolution. What emerges is a fascinating cultural study as people discuss children’s education, retirement, China forty years ago and today. “As Chinese politics have changed over the last two millennia, so too has the imagery of the game,” Moskowitz notes, “from a tool to seek religious enlightenment to military metaphors, one of the noble four arts, one of the condemned “four olds”, nationalism, transnationalism, historical elitism, and futuristic hyper rationality.” The film is “witness to people’s lives, ranging from university students to working class senior citizens, professional players, people who gave up professional careers to become students, and a range of others who all share a love for this extraordinary game.” Please let us know if you hear about screenings of either of these films, so we can let EJ readers know.

Zavala Wins Mexican Youth Go Championship

Paul Barchilon — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:55:34 +0000

Lilian Zavala 9k, age 12, defeated Ogam Shakti Rojas 15k, age 11, at the finals for the Mexican Youth Go Championship (MYGC), in Cuautla Morelos, near Mexico City on March 18th. ”A full weekend trip was planned to this beautiful place,” reports organizer Siddhartha Avila, “where kids, parents, teachers and friends could enjoy the natural surroundings and have fun with different activities outdoors. There was intense go activity on Saturday morning, with matches and teaching games, later some of the kids played the first two rounds of the AGHS School Team Tournament online, while on Sunday the MYGC final game was won by Zavala.” More photos are available here
- Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Photo by Siddhartha Avila: Lilian Zavala 9k (l) vs. Ogam Shakti Rojas 15k (r).

Go Book Donation Raises Funds for AGA, Expands Empty Sky Collection

Chris Garlock — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:12:48 +0000

Call it the Joseph Yao tesuji. The ripple effects of his recent donation of his collection of 300 go books to the AGA make Yao’s move a tremendously skillful move, maximizing the use of his books on both a local and global level. A Boeing Jet Propulsion Laboratory retiree who lives in Los Angeles, Yao was a lifelong devotee of go, buying hundreds of books. “Since it was hard to get go books in the US, he sent $100 or more a month to Japan to buy the newest go books,” Andy Okun tells the E-Journal. “He studied the books assiduously, even after having a stroke, but further declines in his health means he can no longer use them, according to his wife, Hong-Dan Zheng, so they made this arrangement with the AGA to get the books into the hands of people who could use them.” The Rochester (NY) -based Empty Sky Go Club (l) was the high bidder in an online auction of the books in April, and the club promptly donated the entire collection to the Greg Lefler Wing of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Library, where over 100 go books are already available via the WorldCat inter-library system. “We hope this extensive collection will be utilized by go players not only around the country, but around the world,” said the Empty Sky’s Steve Colburn. The $2,200 raised by the auction will fund a small go-and-mathematics college scholarship, Okun reports

EuroGo Updates: April 1-15

Chris Garlock — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:00:35 +0000

Croatia: Robert Jovicic 2k won the 448th Velika Gorica Weekend Go Tournament, played on 4/21 Velika Gorica; second was Mladen Smud 1k and in third Nikola Primetica 4k. Result table.

France: The Ile-de-France League organized the Youth Championship on March 24. This competition is the qualifier for the French Youth Championship held on May 5-6 in Cachan, a suburb of Paris. The League decided to call this event the “Zaza Cup” in honor of the memory of Michel “Zaza” Zaltzman; this edition of the Zaza Cup was accommodated by the Antony Club which was a big supporter of the organisation. Every player won a diploma and lessons for participating and the winner in each category won a private lesson with one of the official teachers of the French Go Federation, Fan Hui or Motoki Noguchi. Cups were also awarded to the first three players in each category. The “Under 12″ category was won by Guillaume Ougier 5k, second came Jin-De Takashi Jen 14k, third was Alexandre Pauvers 15k. The two first players qualified for the National competition. Result table.

Germany: The China Cup Berlin, played from 4/14-15 in Berlin, Germany, was won by Jin Zou 6d (l); second was Johannes Obenaus 5d and third was Michael Palant 5d. Result table.

Italy: Alessandro Pace 2d won the 2012 Campionato Italiano Rapid, played 4/14-15 in Reggio Emilia, Italy. In second was Julian van Den Busken 1k and third was Andriy Zakharzhevskyy 2d. Result table .

Poland: Stanislaw Frejlak 3d won the Young Masters League – Qualification, played on 4/14 in Bielsko-Biala, Poland. In second was Marcin Majka 2d and third was Stanislaw Zambrzycki 4k. Result table. The Side Tournament, also played on 4/14 in Bielsko-Biala, was won by Pawel Stepnowski 2k, second was Bogdan Kruk 4k and third was Lukasz Oles 5k. Result table.

Russia: The three winners of the 17th European Youth Championship 2012, held April 12-16 in St. Petersburg Russia, are Lukas Podpera 5d, Czech Republic (Under 20); Valerii Krushelnytskyi 2k, Ukraine (Under 12): Yurii Mykhalyuk 3d, Ukraine(Under 16).

Slovakia: The Spring Tournament, played 4/14-15 in Porac, Slovakia, was won by Pavol Lisy 5d (r); in second was Bronislav Snidal 2d and third was Jakub Berka 10k. Result table.

Spain: The second Nam-Ban Cup 2012, played from 4/13-14 in Madrid, Spain, was won by Andres Dominguez 1k, second came Fernando Holgado 4k and third was Antonio Egea 3d. Result table .

Slovenia: Ondrej Silt 6d won the Slovenian Open 2012, played from 4/13-15 in Maribor, Slovenia; second came Guochen Xie 6d and third was Lothar Spiegel 4d. Result table.

- excerpted from reports on EuroGoTV.com

World Amateur Championship Set for May 11-17

Chris Garlock — Sun, 06 May 2012 04:05:12 +0000

Top amateur go players will compete in the 33rd World Amateur Go Championship (WAGC) May 11-17 in Guangzhou, China, the first time that this event will take place in South China (click here for last year’s reports from Japan). The American Go E-Journal and Ranka online are teaming up again this year to provide daily coverage.

The field of 58 players will range in age from 13 to 67 and in official rank from 8 kyu to 8 dan. Nearly half will be newcomers to the WAGC, and eleven will still be in their teens. One teenager to watch will be 16-year-old Qiao Zhijian who has been cutting a wide swath through the Chinese tournament scene, winning the Evening News Cup to earn the right to represent China at the WAGC and then defeating the legendary Nie Weiping in the annual Evening News pro-amateur match. Three others will be Hong Kong’s 14-year-old Chan Chi-Hin, who took 15th place in the WAGC last year and then worked up to a 9-dan rating on the Kiseido Go Server, Chinese Taipei’s 7-dan Chen Cheng-Hsun, the youngest in the field, and the Czechia’s Lukas Podpera, who won the U20 division of the recent European Youth Go Championship. These four will be battling for top spots with formidable opponents from Japan, the two Koreas, Southeast Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, India, and Oceania. Well-known go teacher Yuan Zhou 7d is this year’s U.S. representative.

Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital city of Guangdong Province. It is enjoying great economic prosperity, flourishing development, cultural diversity and dynamic modernization. With a history of more than 2800 years, Guangzhou is forging its way ahead between its cultural heritage and fashionable skyscrapers. It offers tourists and visitors a feast of sights with unique charm, including the Flowery Pagoda, the Pearl River, the Baiyun Mountain, and the Temple of Six Banyan Trees. In 2010, when Guangzhou hosted the 16th Asian Games, the whole city improved itself comprehensively and impressed guests from all over the world with its ebullience and hospitality.

Guangzhou Chess Institute (left) has been chosen as the venue of the 33rd WAGC. Located in scenic surroundings near the Baiyun Mountain, Guangzhou Chess Institute was rated “the most culturally attractive venue of the Asian Games”. Listening to the ripple of the stream, looking around at the traditional Lingnan houses, you may think you are in a famous garden. The simple and natural design of the playing hall speaks of calmness and harmony to the players and audience.
- excerpted from Ranka Online’s report

Yang Shuang 2P Visits Princeton Go Club

Chris Garlock — Sat, 05 May 2012 22:40:30 +0000

Yang Shuang 2P from Shenyang, China visited the Princeton Go Club on April 25 where she played simul games against allcomers during the evening. Earlier in the day, Yang Shuang visited her colleague Feng Yun 9P in Bridgewater, New Jersey and discussed her interest in teaching in the United States.
photo: Yang Shuang 2P plays Jim Fredrickson at the simul; photo courtesy Feng Yun

Kay Sweeps British Go Congress

Chris Garlock — Sat, 05 May 2012 20:00:58 +0000

Winning both the main event and the lightning tournament at the 2012 British Go Congress, held in Durham on April 20-22, Andrew Kay 4d now has four British tournament triumphs for the year. Second and third places in the Open went to Andrew Simons 3d and Toby Manning 2d. Full results of the British Open are here; results of other events and further details are here.
- adapted from reports by the BGA and IGF.

Go Photo: King of the Goban

Chris Garlock — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:00:33 +0000

Atop Roy Laird’s goban in New York City is flame-point Siamese Kibi’s favorite perch.
photo by Mary Laird

Got go photos? Send them to us at journal@usgo.org!

May Madness Kicks Off This Weekend

Chris Garlock — Fri, 04 May 2012 21:03:23 +0000

Go players looking for competition will find it every weekend this month, from coast to coast, and plenty of places in-between. From Seattle, WA to Santa Fe, NM and Chicago, IL to Baltimore, MD, no less than nine tournaments are being held, including several at which the top-finishing player with qualifying citizenship will earn the right to compete for pro certification this summer in North Carolina the week before the US Go Congress. Here’s a quick overview of the line-up:

May 5, Santa Fe, NM: Santa Fe Spring Tournament
May 5, Stony Brook, NY: Stony Brook Sakura Matsuri Go Tournament
May 5-6, Seattle, WA: 1st AGA-Tygem Seattle Pro Prelim
May 12, San Francisco, CA: Bay Area Go Players Association Monthly AGA Ratings Tournament
May 12, Boulder, CO: Rocky Mountain Spring Go Tournament
May 12, Chicago, IL: It Was 20 Years Ago Today
May 20, Seattle, WA: Iwamoto Youth 19×19 Tournament
May 26-27, Baltimore, MD: 39th Maryland Open/TYGEMGO Pro Prelim
May 28, Cupertino, CA: Bay Area High School Go Tournament 2012
Check the AGA Tournament Calendar for latest postings
photo: at the April 28-29 Cotsen AGA-TygemGo Pro Prelim; photo by Chris Garlock

Go Canada! Canadians Welcome U.S. Players

Chris Garlock — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:00:54 +0000

For those interested in traveling north of the border, there are several events coming up in Canada. The Golden Key Cultural Centeris hosting the 2012 GTA Go Open Tournament May 19 at 2330 Midland Ave.,Toronto, On. With a resurgence of membership in the last year, the Toronto Go Club is celebrating by hosting its first tournament since 2008. The 1-day 4-round tournament will be held June 2 in Room 106 of the 519 Community Centre in Toronto, Canada. And organizers of this year’s Canadian Open, set for June 29-July 2 in Gatineau, Quebec (near Ottawa) are “hoping to draw many American players,” reports Marc St-Onge of the Outaouais Go Club. With nearly $2,000 in top cash prizes, a large field of strong players is expected, along with many players of all strengths. The Korean Baduk Association has tentatively announced the presence of Seung-Hyun Park 7P at the event , and Guo Juan 5P will be doing lessons, reviews and simultaneous games. Prizes will be awarded in all divisions and the event also includes a Pair Go Tournament. Organizers have negotiated lower rates for accommodations at the Université du Québec en Outaouais. “These apartments are fully furnished, air conditioned and include free wireless internet access,” says St-Onge. “There is a kitchen with everything you need to prepare your meals,” he says, but as these accommodations are limited, those interested should reserve early. For those interested, organizers will also plan for affordable transportation to and from Parliament Hill for the Canada Day Celebrations on July 1st, including concert and fireworks. Click here to register or email St-Onge at info@go-outaouais.com for details.

Nominations Open For 4 AGA Board Seats; Board OK’s Budget, Seeks Prez

Chris Garlock — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:09:56 +0000

Four American Go Association (AGA) Board of Director seats are up for election this year, The terms of four seats, one in each region and the at-large position, expire this September. Nominations are now being accepted and will close on June 15. Nominations must be made by email by full members of the AGA. Send to elections@usgo.org. For the regional positions members must reside in that region; click here for complete election information and qualifications.

In other Board news, Daniel Smith reports that at the April 22 board meeting, “the Board spent most of its time discussing the fiscal year 2013 budget, which was approved. The Board also heard that the presidential search committee has identified some candidates and hopes to select the next AGA president at the June 3 board meeting.”

SmartGo Books Releases “Invincible: The Games of Shusaku”

Chris Garlock — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:00:50 +0000

“Invincible: The Games of Shusaku,” John Power’s classic and widely-acclaimed masterpiece on one of the greatest go players who ever lived is now available in SmartGo Books. Originally published by Kiseido, the SmartGo Books edition of Invincible “includes the complete text, games, and diagrams of the print edition, painstakingly converted to digital format,” SmartGo’s Anders Kierulf tells the E-Journal. “And it takes full advantage of the digital medium – be prepared to experience this classic in a whole new way.” Features of the new edition include the ability to replay moves in figures and diagrams, play out your own variations, fewer moves per figure, with the appropriate text for each figure, and inline diagrams for move sequences embedded in the text. Best of all, the new edition’s portable accessibility on iPad or iPhone means Invincible — at an introductory price of $19.99 – can now always be with you. SmartGo Books is a free app for the iPad and iPhone available on the App Store. Check out free chapters of over 30 go books and purchase those you like using in-app purchase.

NY Go Center & Nihon Ki-in America Announce Support for Seattle Go Center

Chris Garlock — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:20:10 +0000

The Board of Directors of Nihon Ki-in America (NKA) and the New York Go Center (NYGC) have announced their support for the Seattle Go Center, which has sued the Nihon Ki-in in Tokyo to prevent the sale of the SGC building in Seattle, WA. “From its founding, the Seattle Go Center has been particularly successful in uniting players from all cultural backgrounds and in drawing broad support from the go community,” they said in a press release on April 28. “In that sense, the Seattle Go Center has been the most successful of Iwamoto-sensei’s four go centers.” Saying that “The NYGC Board was not consulted or informed of Nihon Ki-in Japan’s plan to close the Seattle Go Center,” the NKA (the non-profit entity created to run the NYGC) and NYGC – which was formally closed in 2010 when the Nihon Ki-in shuttered the building on East 52nd Street in Manhattan but continues to exist organizationally – warned that unilateral decisions like closing the Seattle Center will “seriously damage the relationship between Japanese Go and the American go community.” “We never suggested that Seattle be sold to fund New York,” they added. “While we appreciate Nihon Ki-inJapan’s interest in re-establishing the New York Go Center, we strongly disapprove of doing so at the expense of the Seattle Go Center.” Noting that “The Nihon Ki-in has generously supported international go for decades with the creation of overseas chapters, establishment of the World Amateur Championships and the International Go Foundation, invitations for overseas teachers, the visits of hundreds of professionals,” the NKA and NYGC called on the Nihon Ki-in “to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement with the American Go Association, the Seattle Go Center and the New York Go Center to make the best use of Iwamoto-sensei’s generous endowment to go in the United States.” photo of sign outside former site of the New York Go Center by d_run on flickr

In Appreciation: The 2012 Cotsen Open Team

Chris Garlock — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:30:54 +0000

It may not take quite a village, but it definitely takes a good-sized team to pull off a tournament like last weekend’s Cotsen Open.

Tournament sponsor Eric Cotsen’s team this year included Tournament Organizer Jenna Stewart, lead coordinator Hunter Knight, Noah King, David Fein, Maile Fulton and masseuses Nini, Priscilla and Cindy.

The tireless and always cheerful staff at the Korean Cultural Center, led by Director and Consul Jaewon Kim and Vice Director and Consul Jongmoon Kim, included Program Manager Tammy Chung, Facility Manager Seunghoan Roh, Sports Manager Sungwoo Park, Tech Manager Jaewoo Kim, along with Aryf Hussain, Miguel Hernandez and Domingo Hernandez.

AGA leaders and volunteers who lent a hand included AGA President Allan Abramson, who flew in from Virginia, Tournament Director Chris Sira, Jeff Shaevel from Texas, AGA Board Chair Andy Okun (who lent a whole more than a hand) and of course Kim Myung-wan 9P, who played a key role coordinating the tournament planning.

Others who pitched in were the Bay Area Go Club’s Roger Schrag, who set up the tournament registration page, Wende Mate, who designed the tournament banner, Jay Chan, who brought in additional clocks, along with Paru Maheta-Sargon, Shih-peng Sun and Robert Schrader (who helped moved stuff late Friday night), as well as Wenguang Wu, James Kim and Yixian Zhou.

Professionals who did simuls and lectures included Cho Hun-hyun 9P, Yoo Chang-hyuk 9P, Yang Jae-ho 9P, Kim Myung-wan 9P, Yang Yilun 7P, Janice Kim 3P, Kim Hyo-jung 2P and, online from China, Wang Qun 8P.

Sponsors this year were the Korean Baduk Association, the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles, Vitaave.com, Choi Gun-ho and the LA Go Club, and Hinoki Press, which donated a big pile of books.

Last but never least was the E-Journal’s crack team, which broadcast an astounding 25 games – plus half a dozen pro commentaries – live on KGS over just two days. Assisting EJ Managing Editor Chris Garlock were KGS Liaison Akane Negishi, who flew down from Portland, lead game recorder Solomon Smilack from Denver, and locals Richard Dolen, Joe Cepiel and Dustin Pluta, with assistance from Jim Woh.
Collage: Registration (top left photo, clockwise): Chris Sira, Jenna Stewart, tournament sponsor Eric Cotsen, Noah King, Hunter Knight and Andy Okun; Pairings (top right): Chris Sira (l) & Okun; Please Massage: masseuses (need names); Game Recorders: middle bottom: Solomon Smilack (front, with goatee), Richard Dolen (left, in suit) & Dustin Pluta (right, in blue); far left: Chris Garlock recording Cho-Yang pro-pro game.

Go Photo: Brooklyn Botanic Gardens 2012 Sakura Matsuri

Chris Garlock — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:09:45 +0000

Brooklyn Go Club members at the April 28 Sakura Matsuri Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. photo courtesy Felice Simon

Bay Area High School Tourney May 28

Paul Barchilon — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:16:21 +0000

Bay Area k-12 schools are invited to compete in a half-day team contest in Cupertino, CA. Spectators are welcome, say organizers Kevin Huang and David Su, and competition should be strong among the local stars. Complete info is on the web here. The tourney will be held Monday May 28, (Memorial Day) from 12pm-6pm, at the ThinkTank Learning Center. Schools that register by Tuesday, May 1st get a reduced rate of $15, the fee is $18 after the 1st. Teams should contain three people. If a school has a shortage of players, players from different schools may register together as a team. The top 3 teams in each division will receive a prize, and participants will receive a team consolation prize. Click here to register. -Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Photo: promo poster by Innod.net, double-click on the image for a full size blow-up.

Second Online NAIM/WMSG Qualifier Scheduled

Chris Garlock — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:00:35 +0000

The Oscar Wilde Liberation Tournament NAIM/WMSG Qualifier is set for May 19-20 in the AGA Tournament Room on KGS. This second online tournament will afford players another chance to win points towards the North American Ing Masters (NAIM) Tournament and the upcoming 2012 World Mind Sports Games. The tournament is designed for 16 players, with four rounds over two days. Yixian Zhou will direct, and points will be awarded separately for players based on whether they are eligible for NAIM or WMSG points. Click here by Tuesday, May 15 to register. Click here for tournament schedule and details. All players must be either eligible for the North American Ing Masters Tournament or the World Mind Sports Games, both scheduled for August 2012. The NAIM will be during the US Go Congress, August 4-12 in Black Mountain, NC, while the World Mind Sports Games will take place in Lille, France August 9-23. The second WMSG will be an all-amateur event this year, but further details of the tournaments have not yet been released (How to Earn Qualie Points for 2012 World Mind Sports Games in France article). Irish author and playwright Oscar Wilde (photo above) wrote many successful works including The Importance of Being Ernest and The Picture of Dorian Grey. May 19 marks the 115th anniversary of Wilde’s release from Reading Gaol Prison in 1897.
- Karoline Burrall, AGA Tournaments Coordinator

Go Symposium Call for Papers Closes

Chris Garlock — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:39:58 +0000

From a Q&A session with Hikaru no Go creator Hotta Yumi to presentations on the state of the art of supercomputer go, weiqi in Chinese poetry, and designing a college go course, more than 20 talks have now been scheduled for the 2012 International Go Symposium. Organizers have now closed their Call for Papers to the Symposium, which will be held at this year’s U.S. Go Congress, August 4-12 in Black Mountain, NC. Click here for the full list of presenters and topics; short abstracts will be posted soon.